Premier-designate William Lai (賴清德) has named Taiwan Stock Exchange Corp (台灣證交所) chairman Shih Jun-ji (施俊吉) as the next vice premier and Democratic Progressive Party Deputy Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) as the next Cabinet secretary-general, the Executive Yuan said yesterday.
All incumbent ministers without portfolio will stay on, except for Chen Tain-jy (陳添枝), who serves concurrently as National Development Council minister, Cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said.
Cabinet Secretary-General Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶) is to take over both positions from Chen Tain-jy, said Hsu, who confirmed that he would stay on as Cabinet spokesman.
Photo: CNA
Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee Chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄) is to become chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission, Hsu said.
Responding to criticism that Koo does not have a financial background, Hsu said that Koo, as a lawyer, was trained in financial law and has the legal expertise required in overseeing financial bodies.
Former FSC chairman Sean Chen and former minister of finance Yen Ching-chang (顏慶章) were also legal experts before they became financial chiefs, so Koo’s appointment should be acceptable, Hsu said.
Photo: CNA
All other appointments are to be announced today after Lai bids farewell to the Tainan City Government and council, Hsu said.
The new Cabinet is to be sworn in on Friday and an extraordinary Executive Yuan meeting is to be convened immediately, he said.
“Government management is a succession of works, and there are different missions in each stage. I will continue the policies unfinished by Premier Lin Chuan (林全) and employ the pragmatic ‘Tainan spirit’ to lead a new way,” Hsu quoted Lai as saying.
Photo: Lee Hsin-fang, Taipei Times
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